Products I've Used Up/Empties Vol. 14

It has been 4 months since my last empties post. But I am back it at again with quite a few products that I have used up :-)

Yankee Candles Appalachian Daisy 2-wick Candle: I bought this candle at a discount but cannot exactly remember from which store. I really like the fragrance and if I find it at a fairer price again, I will repurchase.
Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Mint 3-wick Candle: I soooooo loved the fragrance of this candle! Now that I have tried a few different brands now, I have finally arrived at the conclusion that the performance of BBW candles is much superior; especially when I can get them during sale! I will definitely repurchase, but of course, I will wait for a sale.

Voluspa 3-wick candle in Mokara: This Mokara fragrance is such a familiar fragrance to me, I cannot really pinpoint why and how, but I think this fragrance brings back childhood memories. While I loved the smell, I did not like the quality of this candle. It has 3-wicks but as you can see it did not burn evenly and there is still a lot of wax left unburnt. The throw also was not that strong. I will not to repurchase but I love the smell so much!

Skincare & Hair Empties:

Redken No Blow Dry NBD Just Right Cream: I saw absolutely no effect of this cream on my hair. It just felt like an additional step without resulting in any benefit. I am just glad to get it finished. Will not repurchase.

Living Proof Timeless Shampoo: This was a deluxe size and hardly lasted me for a single use :-)! Honestly I don’t exactly remember if I liked it or not. I did not have any negative experience though :-)

O.P.I. Avojuice Coconut Melon Hand Body Lotion: I sincerely hope this is the last of a set I bought quite some time ago. This was ok  but it took a little bit of time to sink in which was not very convenient. As you can imagine, I will not repurchase.

L’Occitane Almond Smoothing and Beautifying Supple Skin Oil: I love using body oils because my dry skin really need it. I have been trying and  using a lot of different body oils for a long time now. And I was quite excited about this one because it is a cult favorite within the beauty community. I liked it but at times it felt a little bit heavy. It also has a sweet smell from the almond which I am not a big fan. I am not quite sure if I want to purchase a full-size just yet.

The Body Shop Pinata Colada Shower Gel: It is a decent shower gel. I did not really enjoy the smell. I have never tried the drink so I don’t really know how close is the smell is to the actual drink. But it was a bit thicker in consistency and I had hard time getting the gel out. I will not repurchase.

The Body Shop Mango Shower Gel: One of the very few scents I can use from Body Shop is this Mango one. I still would not want to repurchase a full-size.

Ole Henriksen Nurture Me Water: I love a good facial spray! This is one out of the 3 sprays from a set and I have already finished the Truth Facial Water. That was my most favorite. This was enjoyable too! Would I repurchase? I do not know :-) Btw, they have changed the packaging and it looks so much better now.

Sephora Collection Super Supreme Body Butter: Can you tell I go through Body moisturizes like crazy? I absolutely loved this one! It is a huge jar but because it has been a long winter and often I have been it using twice daily, I finished it sooner than I expected! It is very moisturizing with a lasting effect. It is kind of a thick cream but easy to apply all over my body. I think I purchased it randomly just to get qualified for picking deluxe sample, & I can definitely see myself repurchasing!

Tree Hut Mediterranean Salt Scrub: I absolutely enjoy Tree Hut products. As it is evident from the total 3 Tree Hut products I finished here. I absolutely enjoy the smell of this one, it is sooo comfortable and relaxing! And it was perfect for winter. However, I actually prefer their sugar scrub formula more than the Salt one. I will not repurchase the salt scrub but I already bought 2 or 3 sugar scrubs as backup.

Tree Hut Shea Body Butter in Coconut Lime: Another lovely body butter. I have loved almost everything from this brand. This was no exception. It was lighter in consistency than the Sephora body butter.But it was enough for the transitional Spring weather here. I will repurchase full-size at some point but for now I would love to repurpose this jar from my travel needs. 

Korres Body Butter in Jasmine: I am sad that this is finished. I absolutely loved the product. It is quite moisturizing, easy to apply and sinks into the skin so quickly. The smell of Jasmine is quite subtle but oh-so-lovely! I have two other body butters from Korres in my backup shelf but I would definitely repurchase in the future. Also, it is not so difficult to find gift sets of these so I will buy them in sets; otherwise it can get a bit expensive.

First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser: It is a very generic, very simple cleanser. It did a good job as a basic cleanser. This 1 oz. tube also lasted for quite some time. I love my Philosophy Purity Cleanser as my second cleanser. Hence, I would not repurchase. It was a good enough cleanser while it lasted.

(2) Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet: I do not know if there is any difference between the pink and the white packaging, The name of the moisturizer seems to be the same. I do detect a ever-so-slight difference fragrance. It is a decent lightweight moisturizer; not quite enough for my dry skin during winter. I think I would enjoy it more during the summer months. I will not repurchase but I would not mind it in smaller size in skincare kits. 

Kinerase Advanced Cream: I do not know about this brand & I did not care for it either. Just glad it is finished.

Philosophy Miracle Worker Overnight: I did not love this night cream. It did not sink in quickly and it kind of peeled on my face, especially near my face. I ended up using this on my neck. I will not repurchase.

CAUDALIE Resveratrol Lift Face Lifting Soft Cream: I got this deluxe sample size in a Sephora Favorites set. This is a glass jar, I appreciate it so much because it is almost rare to see companies put the same quality in deluxe size samples compared to the full-size products. In general, I do like Caudalie products. Most of them I really, really love. This one however was not extraordinary. I did not like the consistency that much! Like all other Caudalie products, I enjoyed the faint nice smell of this product but other than that it was just ok.

Fresh Beauty Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream: This was the first new product I tried in 2018 and I very much ENJOYED it. The texture is so silky smooth, the smell is so natural & beautiful. It is also easy to apply and it absorbs almost immediately. The best part is it keeps my dry, parched skin moisturized. I have already collected a deluxe-size from Sephora & I truly want to buy the full-size but right now, I have 2-3 other full-size moisturizers that I want to finish up.

Sunday Riley Luna Sleepng Night Oil: I ended up collecting three of this sample sizes from Sephora in order to see if those product works for me. This is second bottle I finished and honestly I not excited by it. I accept that I have not been very diligent in using this but I don’t even find any excitement to use it. It is an expensive product to begin with so naturally I had high hopes. It felt greasy on my face which would have been ok if I would have seen any improvement of my skin’s overall health. I will definitely not repurchase.

Erborian Bamboo Crème Frappe Skin-Revining Fresh Gel: I finished this back in January, I think. And I am having a hard time remembering how i felt about it. All I remember is that it was very light consistency, and it was refreshing!  But it still offered moisturization. Beyond that, I don’t remember if I wanted to try it in a bigger size!

Drunk Elephant T.L.C Framboos Glycolic Night Serum: Oh man! The hype around this brand! I finished this serum back in February, and I must admit that I am definitely missing it in my routine. I used it 1.5-2 pumps almost every night and it lasted me only 3 months. That seemed a bit quick for such a pricey product. Now that it has 1-1.5 month without using it, I do have to accept that I really did see positive effect of the serum on my skin. I had uneven texture along with a lot of cystic acnes and I could feel this serum smoothening that out. My acnes were also under full control! I did get one or two here and there. Now that I have not been using this serum, I can definitely feel the issue of uneven texture coming back to haunt me. I have repurchased a 0.5 oz size bottle in the Acid Trip during Sephora VIB Sale. I do have other serum type products that I want to finish up first though!

Lotus Herbals Aloehydra Aloe Vera Gel: This a product from India and my sister passed it onto me. I actually mainly used it on my elbows. I don’t have much to say about it. I did like using it so when I go to India next, I may pick it up again but for now I not missing it in my routine.

Freeman Beauty Infusion Cleansing Sheet Mask: This was the first charcoal “sheet” mask that I have used. What I liked about it is that I did not feel the need to wash my face after using the mask. It claims to instantly boost purity but I did not feel any special cleansing effect on my skin. Overall, I did feel good right after using the mask. However, the very next day, I got two huge acnes right on my skin! So, I am terrified now.

Makeup & Perfume Empties:

Marc Jacobs Daisy Deluxe Sample: Look how cute is this tiny bottle? I am going to display it along with the other mini perfume bottles I have finished up :-) This is a cult favorite scent. It is a simple, clean fragrance. It is not a favorite per se, but I don’t dislike either. I do not need repurchase this because I have way tooooo many perfumes to use up.

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara: I have said this before that I am not too picky about mascaras. But I love this one, I think this is my second tube! I always get this in travel size :-) I am using another tube now and I can see myself repurchasing it. Also, Sephora & Ulta often includes this in travel size as Gift with Purchase.

Bite Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Meritage: I absolutely adored this lip product. It is a beautiful rose hued shade; perfect for every day. It was one of my favorite shade last year and I would love to repurchase but I fear that Bite Beauty is discontinuing this product line. Do you guys have any idea?

Bite Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Rhubarb: Another Bite Beauty product that I thoroughly enjoyed! This formula is so moisturizing on the lips and on me it stays almost the entire day. I would not repurchase this over Meritage though!

Stila Stay All-Day Waterproof Eyeliner in Intense Black: This has been my holy grail eyeliner since 2014. One of these I finished a long time ago but for some reason it never made it to my empties bin! This first liner lasted me a long time too! However, the second one did not even last me a year. It makes a bit sad! I loved this liner, mainly because of its waterproof quality and its jet black color. I have worn this for my sister’s wedding and it survived beautifully through a hot, humid, hectic and emotional night till the next morning! I want to repurchase but I am hesitant because the second  one dried out sooner! I recently picked up a few colored ones from this line during Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty and I want to see how they perform, then probably decide.

Clinique Pink Honey: This was a tiny, deluxe sample but it was in my #finish17in2017 project pan. Nothing special about this but I am just glad this is finished! The shape of the bullet makes it difficult to use up till the very last bit of product.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths: I have been trying to cut down my usage of makeup wipes. I have to say that I have been somewhat successfully. Anyway, this was a good enough wipe. It had enough moisture in it and it did a decent job in removing the first layer of makeup! Will I repurchase? Probably not!

Aquaphor Heal Ointment Mini Jar: Such an inexpensive lip balm. And this tiny jar lasted me a long time. I typically used this before I go to bed and it healed and smoothened my lips for the next day. I always used this at night if I knew that I will be using matte liquid lipstick or any drying regular lipstick next day. I would ABSOLUTELY repurchase.

I also finished up some samples (and of course my trusty contact lens solution!) 

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Agave Sugar Lip Scrub: This tiny little sample lasted for almost two weeks. But keeping the price of these products in mind, I don’t think they are worth it. Just my experience.

Love,
~Arrru

Products I've Used Up/Empties Vol. 13

I know I just did my last empties post just in November, but I wanted to record all the items I finished this year. What's the point to carrying the empty tubes and jars to a brand new year! 

Parachute Coconut Oil: Nothing new here! I go through a huge bottle like this every six months, I use it as overnight mask before washing my hair. It is a must-have for my hair.

Tree Hut Tropical Mango Moisturizing Body Wash: I love the Sugar Scrubs from Tree Hut; that's why I wanted to try this shower gel too. It is a very runny shower gel; I liked using it. It has very nice subtle fruit-y scent from the mango. It contains organic shea butter and is sulphate-free. I also love that Tree Hut does not test on animals :-), Anyway, I enjoyed using it but towards the end, the gel kind of solidified at the bottom and I could not completely use it up. I would not repurchase but I enjoyed while it lasted.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash: I did not really like the from Soap & Glory. This, however is ok. It does a good job as a body wash. Plus, the smell is very nice & refreshing. But the product itself look weird to me. It is white in color and looks like milk but thicker. I am not personally fond of the appearance of this product. For this reason alone, I am not going to repurchase.

The Body Shop Moringa Shower Gel: Some of the fragrance lines from Body Shop sometimes feels a bit too strong for me. However, this one I liked. The vegetable from Moringa Tree is regularly used in Assamese cuisine. I think that’s why I can this fragrance feels a bit familiar. I loved using this gel. However, not enough to repurchase.

Alterna Caviar CC Cream: A got a bunch of free hair care samples from Ulta in one of their awesome promotional codes. This was one of them. I do not switch out my hair products at all. But I am also sick of all the sample products I have been hoarding from my purchases here and there. So, I am outing good effort in using them up. This tiny sample gave me 4 uses. I have long, thick hair! I used it after washing my hair skipping my regular conditioner. It helped in preventing any freezing in my hair. That way it performed well. But I am not blown away by it, so I won’t repurchase. But I loved the color of the tube; useless observation! :-)

Murad Acne Spot Fast Fix: I actually enjoyed using this. It helped tackling with my acnes, at least to some extebt. I dont think I will repurachse just yet though! We will see!

Ahava Mineral Hand Cream: I am lovingthis hand cream, it smells really nice and faint enough for me. It provides good moisturization as well. I have one or two sample sized tubes. But I can definitely see myself repurchasing.  

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper: The Stay All Day Waterproof Liner from Stila Cosmetics is my all-time favorite eyeliner. However, I enjoyed this liner too! I wish I could have this brush with the formula from Stila. That will be a match made in heaven. I would enjoy another sample but I don't I will repurchase it anytime soon. 

Burberry Brit Eau De Parfum: I don’t like strong, warm perfumes. This was not my favorite, it was very long lasting though. If you like this kind of notes, you may like it.

Nest Dahlia & Vines: Same experience above Lasts a very long time. But because I don’t like this type of notes, at the end of the day I get headaches. So, will not repurchase.

Origins Out of Trouble Clear Improvement Mask: This is one of my favorite masks. I have a full size that I am using, but this small pods are great for travelling. I typically use it for my trouble spots so the small pods can last a few uses. 

May Lindstrom Skin The Honey Mud Mask: Out of all this products that I finished here, this gives me the most pleasure and most sad. Joy - because I fell in love with the experience from the very first time I used it. It smells so divine; I mix with a few drops of water and some clean dirt and it polishes up my skin. I then use some blue cocoon and the whole experience is AMAZING! But I am sad - because this was the sample I got from my black friday order last year, and right now I cannot really justify buying this expensive of a mask where I already have a bunch of other masks to finish up! I hope I can purchase this full-size some day soon!

Amorepacific Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Crème: I really enjoyed this sample. Although it looks a bit substantial in size, the product here is very little. It hardly lasted me 4 usages. It was of silky smooth consistency, absorbed very quickly and gave me ample moisturization. It did not feel heavy. I also absolutely enjoyed the smell. I would love to try this in full size, but it is CRAZY expensive!

Dr Jart Ceramidin Cream: Very thick, but not heavy. I can see why dry skin people absolutely adore this product. This was very tiny sample, but I enjoyed using it. I don’t even need to think about buying any moisturizer has I have plenty of backup.

Nivea A Kiss of Milk & Honey Lip Balm: I love this. This is one of the best lip balm money can buy. I have quite a few backups already and I will buy it again.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum & B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel: First of all, I have fallen prey for Drunk Elephant Packaging. It is so adorable, immediately grabs your attention and it is not trying hard or extra girlish or such! I have been using their full-size night serum for 2-3 weeks now and it has actually helped in smoothening the texture of my skin. The other two items are sample size and I have been enjoying the set. Not 100% sure yet if I want repurchase just yet; these are very expensive stuff.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser: I love Origins as a brand and I love their GinZing line. However, this one was not that mind-blowing. It acted great as a good, simple cleanser. The smell is fantastic; its refreshing to use in the morning. However, as an exfoliating cleanser it was not much effective. I have other scrubs that really are effective and that I liked way, way more. So, I will not be repurchasing.

Ole Henriksen Truth Facial Water: I bought a set of these travel Facial water sprays a while back. It had Nurture Me Facial Water and Grease Relief Facial Water. I am halfway through the Nurture Me one and I have not yet started using the Grease Relief one yet. But This Truth Serum is my most favorite. I love their Truth Serum; my mom loves that too! This spray is lovely in all weather and is quite refreshing. It contains Mandarin, White Tea and Pomegranate – very lovely concoction. I loved using it before bed or during the day! Would I repurchase? I may, once I finish all of the Facial Sprays I have been hoarding. (PS: I believe this is now called Fountain of Truth Water - please correct me if I am wrong?)

Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herb and Rosewater: This is without doubt one of the best facial spray in very affordable price. This was one of the first spray I bought and I did like it. I have expanded my spray collection. I do recommend this, but I am not sure if I will repurchase just yet.

Neutrogena Body Oil Light Sesame Formula: I have reviewed this product here. This is one of my HOLY-GRAIL products. I cannot do without this oil, especially during the winter! And when winter lasts 8 months in a year, it's a savior :-) I have gone through many, many bottles of these and I am pretty sure I am gonna need many more.

Love,
~Arrru

Products I've Used Up/Empties Vol. 10

For a makeup hoarder like me, empties posts are always fun to write about, especially if it the First Empties of the year :-)

Paris Hilton Bath Gel: I bought this long long time ago, glad to have finished it. It was ok, I mean you don’t really expect a lot from a bath gel. I still don’t have a clue as to why I decided to buy a celebrity line of perfumes but I will definitely not buy it again.

Victoria’s Secret Love Spell Fragrance Mist: I bought this in a set long, long time ago as gifts to give my cousins back home. I could not take all of them cause of weight restrictions. This was the last of it and I am so glad I finally was able to finish them all! I mainly used it as room spray when I cook heavy Indian curries :-)

Marula Facial Oil: Just a little sample I used up! Noting super impressive about it!

Bath & Body Works 3-wick Candle in Honeysuckle: This is one of my favorite scents from BBW. I already have a backup and will definitely repurchase.

This time I finished up some makeup items! I am very proud about that. I have to admit that #finish17by2017 Project Pan (read full blogpost here) is definitely helping me in going through my makeup up products! These are mostly sample products, but an empty is an empty and I am free to rejoice in finishing up any product; irrespective of the size.

Anastasia Brow Wiz: Woo Hoo! I finished it in the first week of January. This is in my Finish17in2017 Project Pan and I am so happy that I was able to finish it up so early in the year! It is a must-have product for me! I never used to do my brows but now I do, and I absolutely LOVE the effect nicely groomed brows has on my look, especially when I wear a good amount of makeup! I use Medium Brown shade and I just adore how easy it is to use and how long lasting it is! I LOVE IT.

Lashfood Phyto-Medic Eyelash Enhancer: Hmm, sadly this was a disappointing product. I got this in one of "Sephora Favorites" kit and first off, there was so very little product inside. It almost discouraged me to apply this at night on a regular basis. But I did use it consistently and I could NOT see any effect on my lashes. It is such an expensive product and it is a shame that it did not work for me. 

Lakme LOVE Lipstick in Passion Fruit: This is the first lipstick that I ever bought with my hard-earned money! In fact, it was the only lipstick I had for that time. I finished it pretty quickly before I fall in love with makeup. I stopped using it long time ago, but was keeping it for emotional reason! But time to part away from it :-)

Supergoop! Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50: I had so much hope for this one! I hoped this would be perfect for summer months to apply midday when I wear heavy makeup to act as a sunscreen! I actually finished this long time ago but it was still living in my office makeup bag. Anyway, I hated it. First of all, the spray was very, very bad. It speckled the product in my face instead of spraying it nicely. What was worse is that the speckles would turn white and would not sink in. Basically if I apply it over my makeup it ruined my whole look. Absolutely hate it.

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray: I don’t use makeup setting sprays often, so this tiny little bottle lasted me a long, long time. This is before they underwent a packaging change. Because I have dry skin, I don’t often face problem of my makeup sliding off my face! So, I am not really sure how much it helps to prolong the wear of my makeup. I still do enjoy it though. This is a product that often comes in sample sets or gift with purchase. I already have another sample of it.

Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence: This is my second Tata Harper product, and I have to agree that her products get used up pretty quickly. These are expensive products so I don’t like that these don’t last me a lot. Tata Harper is a natural brand, I love her purifying mask but this I don’t see anything special about. It was nice to use, I generally used it after cleaning my face, most of the times twice daily and sometimes just once. It absorbed rather quickly, and I could apply moisturizer very quickly thereafter! Lot of people were complaining about the spritzer but for me it worked fine. It has a unique lightly floral scent, I don’t hate but I don’t love it either! Overall, it was not worth the price; I used it nicely when I had but will not repurchase.

Nivea Lip Balm A Kiss of Moisture Essential Lip Care: I love this. This is one of the best lip balm money can buy. I have quite a few backups already and I will buy it again.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II: Another OG serum in this beauty community. It has been around for ages. I don’t feel any excitement for Estee Lauder products! I used it for a week and then used something else. I started to reuse again and it lasted me about 10 days. It did not break me out but I did not see anything extraordinary. Will not repurchase.

Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum: Deluxe sample that was about to get expired and I had to finish up! I did not care for it much. It did not break me out so I guess that’s something!

Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Serum: The best thing about this serum was that it got absorbed in seconds. I am able to apply moisturizer almost immediately after I apply the serum. The consistency of the serum is very thin, gel-like. I liked it but it is a small sample to realize any huge affect on my skin. I have a lot of serums that I need to finish up but I can see myself considering this when I actually need to purchase a serum.

Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil: Another tiny sample of face oil. I had a very dry skin before but now it has become more acne prone! Otherwise I could have just slathered this type of oil on my face. This is a bit heavy in consistency so I use it in selective part of my face. I liked it while it lasted. I had two tiny samples that I gave to my mother and one of my family member. I am not interested in a full-size.

Murad Hydro-Dynamic® Ultimate Moisture: I really enjoyed using this tiny sample. It was of the right consistency; not too thick not too thin, gave me enough hydration for almost the entire day. It also sinked in quickly allowing me to apply my makeup without waiting much time. I will not repurchase in full-size now but I will keep this in my “revisit” list.

Fresh Rose Face Mask: An absolute must-have mask for me. Especially during winter, this really helps me keep my skin hydrating. I try to apply it once a week. I already have a full-size back up and I do collect deluxe size samples whenever Sephora offers them!

Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask: This one has a very cooling affect on application. I do enjoy it but I am not really sure if it does anything incredible for me. I have a full-size bottle that I got in a set but I don’t think I will repurchase after that.

Korres Greek Yoghurt Advanced Nourishing Sleeping Facial: This was a deluxe sample I got from Sephora and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is so moisturizing yet absorbs so quickly. I am also impressed that this sample lasted me for so long! I will definitely look into repurchasing once I go through all the current nighttime moisturizer I have.

Origins GinZing™ Energy-Boosting Moisturizer: After trying out many different moisturizers, I have settled with this as my regular daytime moisturizer. I absolutely love how moisturizing and yet how thin this is. Also that mild ginseng smell is very much appreciated! When I went to India last October, this the only thing I could use on my face as it was extremely hot and humid there. During winter months here in the windy city, it sometimes not enough for my dry skin but I just use an oil over it. It is also priced moderately compared to other high end moisturizers. This is my second jar, I already have backups and will continue to repurchase unless I find something that impresses me over this.

Origins High-Potency Night-A-mins Mineral-enriched Renewal Cream: I initially liked this one too but I have grown out of my fondness for this one! It is actually a very nice moisturizing night cream but I am afraid that if I use it all over my face, it tends to break me out. Hence, I just use it on the dry areas of my face. I have a travel size one that I need to use up but I don’t think I will repurchase this in full-size.

Nivea Crème: My god, this brings back memories. My father has been an ardent fan of this for decades! So it always reminds me of my childhood when he always used to boast that his great skin is because of this crème :-) I got this tiny jar just as a reminiscence. I used it over some very dry patches of my skin and it worked great. Will repurchase but not right now!

TonyMoly Pureness 100 Collagen Mask Sheet: I have realized that I am not really a huge fan of sheet masks! I much prefer the good old way of applying masks. I like to keep doing other stuff like cleaning the house or work on my blog when I apply a mask! Most of the sheet masks I have used are just not that comfortable. But anyway, the mask itself was ok. I am not sure if I detected any firmness that this may have provided but it sure felt hydrating. I am however, not interested in repurchasing!

Peter Thomas Roth Acne-Clear Invisible Dots: I bought this in one of those “I-will-try-everything-to-fight-these-goddamn-acnes” moments! The performance of these dots was very inconsistent. Sometimes it did not do anything, an a few times I felt it reduced my pimple quite drastically. I feel like I might just be imagining that because I wanted something that works on my acnes. Will not repurchase.

Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Hair Therapy (Repair Rescue) Shampoo: This is my regular shampoos. I have gone through many bottles and will continue to repurchase. I used to buy it from Ulta and now I don’t see it there and I am already panicking!

Schwarzkopf BC Bonacure Oil Miracle Light Finishing Treatment: I stumbled upon this while searching for a hair oil that my regular hair stylist back in India gave me, the first time I chemically smoothened my hair. I could not find that particular oil so decided to try it. I anyway use the Repair Rescue Shampoo and Conditioner from this line, so it made sense. I have been using this on and off for past 2-3 years. I love it as a live-in conditioner after I wash my hair. I only need a few drops! I enjoy just applying tiny little bit on my roots to tame my insanely frizzy hair.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Original: This is the first dry shampoo I tried. And I very much love it. It is one of those that gives you white cast when you apply it but it is easy to get rid of it by just jazz-ing the roots of my hair. It definitely prolongs the time between I wash my hair. These days, I have been using it on my 2^nd or 3^rd -day hair before I go to bed, and I can survive one more day without washing my hair :-)

Until next time-

Love,
~Arrru

Products I've Used Up/Empties Vol. 8

My last empties was during September and I am so happy to finish up a lot of products. My stash is really getting overwhelming! Here are the products I was able to use up during the last 2-3 months!

Maybelline Clean Express! Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover: My very favorite drugstore makeup remover. This is my third or fourth bottle and I will definitely repurchase.

Lancôme BI-FACIL - Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover: You may already know that this is one of the most popular eye makeup remover in the market. I got this as a GWP from Sephora and it has lasted me a long time. I usually take this with me when I am travelling and I know that I am gonna wear some heavy eye makeup during that time! I need just a little bit of it on a cotton pad and it removes almost all of my makeup. I am definitely open to repurchasing.

Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Face Wash: This is favorite brand from India. It’s a brand that markets itself as herbal and pure! Neem is an evergreen tree that has a lot of medicinal quality; in India neem has been widely used for ages for skincare purpose primarily for its antibacterial qualities. I used it as my morning facewash. I generally bring them when I go home annually but you can find them in most of the Indian Grocery store. I have gone through at least 5-6 bottles of this :-)

No7 Quick Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes 2 pk: I love these. Very affordable and Ulta has deals all the time! It is very moist and does not really strip my face off of all the moisture. I will definitely repurchase. I may even like them better than my most fav Neutrogena wipes.

PACIFICA travel Size Hand And Body Lotion Wipes in Indian Coconut Nectar: So, I am an idiot. I used 9 of these 10 wipes thinking these were makeup remover wipes rather than lotion wipes. And when I went to grab the last one I read the cover. These are lotion wipes meant for hydration! My stupid brain! :-P Anyway, because I thought these were makeup remover, I was liking how moist and non-drying they were. And I am impressed that they kept their moisture even after a month of opening the packet. But makeup remover wise it was not good. I will not repurchase.

O.P.I Hand Cream in Cran and Berry: I sometimes hate how I have become a hoarder. I don’t even know why I bought this. But I have a set and I am still finishing through the set. I don’t like it. The scent was too strong and too sweet and it did not do a good job in keeping my hand moisturized. Will not repurchase. I am just hoping the rest of the scent is not this overpowering. 

Caudalie Lip Conditioner: I considered this my most favorite lip balm. Its silky, very hydrating. But this is the second tube that I have had problem with. It started smelling a bit off towards the last leg of the bullet. I like it but for this price I should be able to use it up before it gets bad (I typically finish lipbalms within 2-3 months). I have another tube that I need to finish up but at a price of $12, I don’t think I am going to repurchase.

Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss: My favorite overnight lip balm. Simple, affordable and efficient. It just takes a lot of time to finish one pot of these. I have already repurchased.

Touch In Sol “Stretchex Stretch Lash Effect Mascara”: It was from a Sephora Favorites Superstars set (reviewed here) during last holiday season. The set is now back in stock in Sephora. I used up the mascara long ago, but forgot to put in my “empties bin”. Surprisingly it did not dry up though! That was very nice! I am not a “hard-to-please” critique of mascaras! I love natural lashes; as long as a mascara gives me separate defined lashes and is easy to take off at night, I don’t need a lot from mascaras to impress me. This one does not offer much volume but it gives me a lot of length! I love the brush too, it’s easier to use on my small eyes. It also comes off easy with cotton absorbed in hot water. I typically don’t buy regular size mascaras, but if I need to I will buy this :-)

Makeup Sponge: I bought this at the very beginning of my makeup journey-maybe 3 years ago. I recently discovered it while cleaning up my closet and hence it ended up on the bin. I think it was just 3 bucks. And when I first started 20$ for a beauty blender seemed crazy. But I am now hooked to it! Anyway, I will remember this fondly as it gave me a helping hand while learning makeup!

Philosophy Miracle Worker Eye Cream: Did not like this at all. It was such a pretty, functional tube which is hard to find in a travel size product. It was of a gel type consistency. I did not experience it doing anything for my eye area. Some times it even stung my eyes. What was weird was that it will typically be after hours of application. Glad to be done with this.

Peter Thomas Roth FIRMx Eye: Another disappointment. It was dried inside the tube; I may have let it sit for a bit of time before starting to use it. But yeah, I did not get much use out of it. Will not repurchase.

Ayur Herbals Mask: This is a product I generally bring from India. It is a Sandalwood powder which is known for its antiseptic benefits. I typically apply it over my acnes. I don’t use it as much as I used to. But it’s a regular product in my routine.

ORIGINS Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask: I first tried this over a year ago. I bought a set of 4 pods and I am hooked ever since! I collect mini samples from Sephora whenever possible and currently I am using a full-size. It clears up my pores, tightens my skin and brings a lot of liveliness to my skin! I simply LOVE this mask and use it at least once a week! I will definitely repurchase.

Sephora Honey Eye Mask: It was very nice to put on and it stayed put in place for the entire time. My under area really felt quite nice and relaxed but it did not improve the dark circle situation :-) I am not sure if I will repurchase! 

Tony Moly Hyaluronic Acid Mask Sheet - Hydrating: This was the first sheet mask I ever used. It was very easy like I expected and during the entire application I could feel how much of liquid product is in the product to keep my face really moisture during the entire time. As I typically wear masks that dries up after 5-10 minutes, it was a bit of uncomfortable feeling. I would have loved if that extra hydration remained even after removing the mask but I did not really see whole lot of difference. It was just ok! I think I am going to stick to my general masks :-)

Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask: I was actually very pleased with this mask. This is not a sheet mask but it only provided one time use for me. It is a charcoal mask with sugary crunchy base. It was really easy to wash off.  I loved that it did not dry out my skin right after washing. I loved that it remained somewhat lukewarm on my skin. Afterwards, my skin looks clean and fresh; typically that’s what I want from my charcoal mask. Will probably repurchase, someday.

Fresh Youth Preserve Face Cream: A very favorite product from this empties bunch! It’s such a light moisturizing cream. I love the smell, quite different, almost herbal-y but not overwhelmingly so! It’s an expensive product and I often think that my dry skin might need a thicker moisturizer. But nonetheless using this makes me feel fancy and that’s something I need once in a while :-) This was my second bottle and I will definitely repurchase it.

Tata Harper Repairative Moisturizer: So much hype about this brand! It is good that I got this in sample size in a value set from Birchbox (reviewed here) to try. The brand markets themselves as 100% natural and high-performance skincare brand. This was a thin, milky type of consistency moisturizer. I liked using it. It provided me enough moisturization for 8-9 hrs then in the AC environment my skin gets dehydrated again. Will I buy again? Given the price, most probably not!

Fresh Rose Face Mask: It has to be one of my favorite hydrating mask. It feels so nice and refreshing. I tend to use it more during the winter season and it really provides me the necessary hydration. In summer it can get a bit heavy. I have already repurchased.

Clarisonic Brush Head in Sensitive: I don’t want to say much about it as I will have detailed post on the clarisonic brush.

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter :This was the first product that I tried from this brand. It definitely lived up to its name/hype. It's very thick and have a strong but pleasant fragrance which reads a little medicinal to me; pleasant type of "medicinal", if such thing exists, It really IS moisturizing. Its a little bit too thick for my taste, but I get the moisturizing I want. So that's fine. :-) Plus, I love the cute little pink pot. I already have a backup.

Dr. Teals Lavender Foaming Bath: This is bath product and even though I don’t get a lot of time to have bath everyday, I absolutely LOVE this product. It’s so inexpensive and yet so invigorating! Very calming and best thing to do before a relaxed night sleep in.

Veet Fast Acting Gel Cream Hair Remover (6.78 oz., 7.99$): This is my absolute favorite product for removing the unwanted hair  - easy and fast enough! 

Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser: Overall, I think this is my very favorite cleanser by far. I love that you can really use this around your eyes without irritating them, if I were heavy eye makeup it is difficult to remove everything at one go. So, first I use a makeup remover to remove my mascara and then use Purity. I love the result. It is been few weeks since I finished it up, and I am definitely missing it in my routine. I am currently using a 16 oz. bottle and already thinking about repurchasing.

Philosophy Shampoo, Shower Gel and Bubble Bath in Sparkling White Ginger: This bottle looked so cool! It is Christmas-edition flavor but the shower had tiny sparkles of gold shimmers. It looks so pretty! But, I am not too happy with the product. It was moisturizing but I want more of stripping cleanliness from my showers. I am not going to repurchase.

Briogeo Don't Despair! Repair Mask: Another tiny sample I got in One of Sephora Play Box. (reviewed here) I guess this s the only advantage of hoarding samples- you get to finish a lot of them. This brand is advertised as a natural brand; it was an average conditioner. This lasted for just 2 application and it could not wow me with that 2 application.

Schwarzkopf Professional Bonacure Hair Therapy (Repair Rescue) Shampoo and Conditioner: Phew...that was a long name! It was suggested to me by my hairstylist after the smoothening treatment mentioned above. Both the shampoo and conditioner are very good to use. I feared that my hair will go back to its fizzy natural wavy self, but I am glad that it is still smooth and healthy enough and more importantly 'Straight' :-)

I also finished up some samples. It takes so much time and effort to go through the samples, and unfortunatel none of this really, really stood out to me. I am not going to try full-size of any this. Not at least in the near future.

Do you love to finish up products?

Love,

~Arrru